Supporting means for hot tops



aFume 5, 1928.

E. J. TURNER SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOT TOPS Filed Dec. 13, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR.

um 5 E280 E. J. TURNER SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOT TOPS Filed Dec. 13, 1927 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 I l i I l i INVENTOR J. mm A I'M Patented June 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES ERNEST J". TURNER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUPPORTING. MEANS FOR HOT TOPS.

Application med'December 18, 1927. Serial No. 239,714.

The present invention relates broadly to the art of metal founding and more particularly to the art of ingot casting by the use of hot tops or feeders whereby the quality of the ingots produced is improved.

It is now common practice, with a large number of steel companies, to utilize hot tops on ingot molds in order to prevent or minimize piping and segregation in the ingots. Such hot tops are of two general types, one employing a rib, shoulder, or equivalent supportin means for'mamtaining the hot top or eeder in posltlon, and the other having flexible or adjustable suspending or supporting means. In accordance with the present invention, the necessity for ribs, shoulders, or other projecting means on the hot tops themselves is obviated, although standard hot tops of usual construction may be utilized" in accordance with the present invention. By the use of the improved supporting means herein contemplated, it is possible to make use of hot tops or feeders having walls with a substantially smooth exterlor contour, devoid of integral or detachable projections.

To those skilled in the art, it will be understood that hot tops are of a wide variety of shapes, sizes compositions, including fire clay or other similar refractory material, slag, cinders, cement, coke breeze, and

combustible or slow burning material, or any deslred combination of these ingredients. The present invention contemplates the use of hot tops having any desirable characteristics, and of any preferred composition, the

utility of the present invention not being limited with respect to characteristics of the hot top with respect to contour or configuration, of to any particular composition.

It is also understood by those skilled in the art that hot tops are utilized with ingot molds of various kinds and sizes, including both big end up and big enddown molds. My invention 'isnot limited with respect to the type of the mold, and contemplatesthe use of molds ofany-desired characteristics.

It not infrequently happens, during the formation of an ingot, that the hot top being utilized cracks or spalls. This is particularly true with some of the hot tops of larger sizes where there is a very substantial projection, particularly above the upper end of the mold. In order to obvlate any objectionable result by reason of such crackm or spalling, it has heretofore been propose to utilize reinforcing means extending entirely around thehot tops, such reinforcing means frequently being in addition to the ribs, shoulders, or the like hereinbefore referred to. Such a construction is considered by some to be objectionable for the reason that it requires separate supporting and remforcing means for a single structure, and at the same time neither the reinforcing nor the supporting means is effective forthat portion of the hot top which projects farthest into the mold. One of.the objects of the present invention is to provide supporting means directly effective on the lower ends of the hot tops and of such construction as to effectively support the hot tops even in the event of cracking or spalling.

A further object of the invention is to provide supporting means effective. for centering the hot tops and maintaining the walls thereof in predetermined-spaced relation to the walls of the mold,

Still another object of the present invent1on is to provide supporting means of such nature that an adjustment may be obtained such that any desired rojection of the hot tops into and out of t'e molds is possible. In order to prevent lateral shifting of the hot tops beyond a predetermined minimum and in order to preclude possibility of displacement of the supporting means during the mounting of a hot top in position, as well as to facilitate the application of the supporting means itself, the supporting means is preferably of such nature that it directly cooperates with at least two of the mold walls and extends continuously therebetween.

The present application constitutes a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 68,306, filed November 11, 1925.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of the invention, as changes in the construction, operation,

and arrangement disclosed therein with respect to the molds, hot tops and, supporting means, may be made without departing either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a mold and a hot top in operative relation thereto showing the I construction and location of the supporting means.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a mold, showing a modified form of supporting means.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View illustrating the adaptability of the invention to hot tops of different shapes.

Figure 5 is'a View similar to Figure 1, illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 1 and -5 showing still another form of the invention.

Figure 7 is a side ele'vational view of the construction showing in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view showing a still further embodiment of the invention.

In practicing the present invention as illustrated for example in Figures 1 and 2, there may be provided an ingot mold 2 of any desired construction, either big end up or big end down, or of other constructional characteristics, the utility of the invention not being limited with respect to any particular mold construction.

For supporting the hot top in position adpacent't'he'upper'end of the mold, there may be provided supporting means herein illustrated as comprising supporting straps, bands, or wires having depending central portions 3 and upwardly extending end portions 4. The depending central portions are adapted to extend continuously across a portion of the mold cavity from one wall to another wall, each support being constructed for cooperation with at least two of the mold walls.- These supports may be applied to the molds substantially as shown in Figure 2 in such-manner that the depending central portions 3 will underlie the side walls 5 of the hot top which is to be supported thereby. It will be obvious that by reason of this p0 sitioning of the supporting means, they do not interfere with the pouring of the metal through the hot top and at the same time they are efi'ective throughout a substantial portion of the area of the lower end of the hot top. Due to this construction, in the event of cracking or spalling of the hot top, the cracked portions are retained in position by the continuously extending depressed central portions. At the same time, the upstanding end portions 4 serve as spacing means effective between the hot top and the mold for maintaining the hot top in predetermined spaced relation to the inner walls of the mold cavity.

To those skilled in the art it will be understood that the supports, if desired, may be of bendable material either throughout or adjacent their ends to enable the same to be bent at different points to vary the plane of support of the hot top, .or difierent supports may be constructed of predetermined dimen sions in accordance with the desired positioning of the hot top. In like manner, the supports may be of any desired material, such as fusible, whereby they will be melted upon contact with the hot steel, to permit sinking of the hot top during shrinkage or cooling of the ingot; combustible or slow burning whereby contact with the molten metal will cause the same to ignite and give off additional heat to assist in maintaining the steel in the supper portion ofthe mold in liquid condition, or of any usual strap iron composition. v

In Figure 3 there is illustrated a modification of the invention in which the depressed central portion 3 of each support extends diagonallyv adjacent one corner of the mold, the upwardly and outwardly ex tending end portions 4: also having downward projections 6, ada ted to extend over the edge of the mold wa ls to definitely position the support. It will be understood that one of these supports will be provided adjacent each of two diagonally opposite corners of a mold, each sup ort being constructed for cooperation wit at least two of themold walls and being effective for extending below a substantial portion of the hot top adjacent a corner thereof, each support cooperating with at least two sides of the hot top and with at least two walls of the mold. 1

A support of the character herein shown, in which the depending central portion extends continuously between at least two of the mold walls, has been found to possess decided advantages over a hook-shaped support which merely cooperates with one moldwall and projects into the mold for cooperation with a limited portion of the hot top. Such supports are diflicult to position and frequently become displaced or knocked from the mold walls during the application of the hot top, thereby making their use somewhat obj ectionable.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated a modified form of hot top having tapered walls 7, the lower ends of the walls being shown in cooperative relation to a support 8. I Figure 5 illustrates a modified. embodiment in which the support 9 is provided with deformable end'portions 10 of the character hereinbefore referred to, such end portions permitting bending at diiierent points as indicated in dotted lines, to change the projection of the hot tops into and out of the molds.

In Figures 6 and 7 there is illustrated another form of the invention in which each support 11 may be formed with upstanding ends 12 provided with perforations 13 in difl'erent vertical planes. Each of the openings 13 is adapted to receive a pin or the like 14. adapted to rest upon the upper end of the mold 15 and thereby provide carrying means for the support and the hot top mounted thereon. With this construction, by properly selecting the openings in which the pins are placed, any desired projection into or out of the mold may be obtained.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figure 8 is adaptable either to the type of support illustrated, for example, in Figure 1, or the type of support illustrated in Figure 3. It comprises a depending central portion 16 with upstanding" spacer portions 17. Each of the spacer portions carries a laterally extending bridge 18 connecting at its outer end to a down-turned portion 19, having openings 20 therein. These openings 20 function similarly to the openings 14 1n the form illustrated in Figure 7, and are adapted to receive pins 21 for obtaining any desired ad'ustment of the hot top. Due to t e construction and location of the supporting means, the hot tops themselves may be of any desired shape and composition, the invention lending itself to use with hot tops of the rib or shoulder type, or of the ty e having any equivalent integral or detacha le supporting means. At the same time, however, the invention obviates the necessity of any special wall shape for the hot tops, and enables the use of relatively smooth or continuous walls whether curved, tapered, or straight.

In my copending application referred to I have claimed the construction of the supports with a depending central ortion, as well as combustible supports, t e present invention being directed more particularly to the, use of metal of ordinary characteristics or ofa fusible nature, together with the improvements herein illustrated for obtaining different adjustments of the hot top.

Certain advantages of the present inven-- tion arise'from the provision of a metallic supporting means havin a continuously extending depressed centra portionadapted to directly cooperate with a substantial portion of the area of the lower end of a hot top.

Further advantages arise from the provision of a fusible metallic-supporting member of the nature referred to.

Still other advantages arise from the provision of a support adapted to efiectively cooperate with at least two of the mold walls, and from the means for obtaining both spacing and adjustment of the hot top.

' ing in an I claim 1. Supporting means for hot tops, comprising a air of spaced supports, each havmg depen ing central portions and upstanding end portions, said central portions being adapted to extend continuousl across a portion of a mold cavity, each 0 said supports being shaped to cooperate with at least two of the mold walls, said supports comprising deformable metallic members.

.2. Supporting means for hot tops, comprising a pair of spaced supports, each having depending central portions and upstanding end portions, said central portions being adapted to extend continuously across a portion of a mold cavity, each of said supports being shaped to cooperate with at least two of the mold walls, said supports comprising fusible members.

3. Supporting means for hot tops, comprising supports having de ending central portions and upstanding end portions, said central portions being adapted to extend continuously across a portion of a mold cavity, and adjustable means cooperating with each of said upstanding end portions adapted to position the supports in different horizontal positions.

4. Supporting means for hot tops, comprisin metallic supports having depending centra portions and upstanding end portions, said central portions being adapted to extend continuously across a portion of a mold cavity, and said upstanding end portions being deformable to vary the positloning of the supports within a mold.

5; Supporting means for hot tops, comprising supports having depending central portions and upstanding end portions, said central portions being adapted to extend continuously across a portion of a mold cavity, and. said end portions being formed with a series of openings for the reception of su porting pins.

6. Supporting means for hot tops, comprising supports having depending central portions, and having end portions extendlar relation thereto, said central portions eing adapted to extend continuously across a portion of a mold cavity, and said end portions being constructed to adjustably position the supports in different planes; I i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST J. TURNER. 

